


it's all for you (in my pursuit of happiness)

by Fives (janfives90)



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Oneshot, just a general au, warnings: homophobic violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 15:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20932733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janfives90/pseuds/Fives
Summary: “Go away,” Emma repeats, adding a deliberate, teasing whine to her voice.Alyssa flops dramatically on top of her. “Nope!”Emma groans loudly. “You’re the worst.”“You love me anyway,” Alyssa giggles.





	it's all for you (in my pursuit of happiness)

“I brought Skittles,” Alyssa Greene says as the door to the Nolan house swings open.

Emma Nolan gives her a suspicious look. “Sour Skittles?”

“Of course. Just because I don’t understand your love of sour candy doesn’t mean I won’t support it.” The smile slips from her face as she reaches up and lightly touches the skin of Emma’s cheek, just below her blackened eye. “Are you okay?”

Emma gently sets a hand on her wrist and rubs her thumb against the back of Alyssa’s hand. “Aw, come on, this is hardly the worst I’ve ever been hit.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better, you know.” Alyssa tilts Emma’s head a little to get a better look. “Does it still hurt?”

“No. It’s-”

_“She’s lying to you, Alyssa!”_

Emma sighs and opens the door a bit further, turning as her grandmother leans in the doorway of the kitchen. “The peanut gallery has opinions?”

Betsy Nolan shakes a spoon at her. “Don’t give me sass, Emma Nolan. You’re lying. You were just whining about the fact that I wouldn’t let you keep an ice pack on it for longer than fifteen minutes at a time.”

“Aw, poor baby,” Alyssa says, her voice thick with sarcasm as she steps into the house and kisses Emma on the cheek.

“You were on my side like five seconds ago,” Emma mutters.

“Yeah, but you lied to me.” Alyssa walks over to Betsy. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh, no, honey. I’m just making some spaghetti. If you’d like to stay for dinner, you’re welcome to?”

“Thanks, Mrs. Nolan. I think I can. My mom’s working late tonight.”

Emma drops onto the couch and puts her hands behind her head. “Nobody asked _me_ if she could stay.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I bring you candy and come over to check on you when your big dumb mouth gets you in trouble, and that’s not good enough to earn me dinner?” Alyssa puts her bag on the floor and sits on top of her. “Rude.”

_“Oof.”_ Emma shoves lightly at her. “Speaking of rude. Go away.”

“No.”

“Go away,” Emma repeats, adding a deliberate, teasing whine to her voice.

Alyssa flops dramatically on top of her. “Nope!”

Emma groans loudly. “You’re the _worst.”_

“You love me anyway,” Alyssa giggles.

They freeze a little, staring at each other, blushes creeping onto their cheeks. Alyssa clears her throat and sits up, shifting down the couch so that she’s sitting on the cushions instead of Emma.

Emma glances at the kitchen doorway and notices that Betsy has gone back in to continue cooking. She sits up and moves to the opposite end of the couch. “You didn’t have to come check on me, you know.”

“I know. I wanted to.” Alyssa looks down and fidgets with her bracelet. “It was pretty funny, I have to admit.”

“Watching me get punched in the face?” Emma asks with a smirk.

“No, idiot. Telling that asshole that if he wants to know how you get dates he should talk to his mother.”

Emma shrugs. “It’s not my proudest moment, but I figured that if a straight dude is going to understand something, I had to speak his language.”

“Yeah, and he talked right back.” Alyssa scoots her way forward until their knees bump, and she brushes her thumb under the bruise again. “You don’t deserve this, Em. You’re so much better than any of them.”

“Come on,” Emma scoffs. “That’s not true.”

“It is.” Alyssa pushes some of Emma’s hair behind her ear. “I know it.” She pulls the Skittles out of her bag and throws them at Emma’s face. “If I didn’t believe that, would I bring you candy?”

“Very true. You’re so generous.”

“I _am.”_ Alyssa grins, her hand lingering against the side of Emma’s neck.

Emma smiles at her, soft, and they just stare at each other for a long moment.

_“Girls! Can you set the table, please?”_

Alyssa pats Emma’s cheek and stands up. “Come on. We have work to do.”

“You’re a guest. She doesn’t actually expect you to help, you know.”

Alyssa rolls her eyes. “Get off your ass, Nolan.”

Emma laughs sharply. “Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

The movie is barely halfway over and Emma is already asleep on her side of the couch, sprawled awkwardly with her glasses crooked on her face. Alyssa watches her, ignoring the movie entirely, smiling softly. She reaches over and gently takes Emma’s glasses off, folding them and setting them on the table in front of the couch.

“Alyssa,” Betsy says from her chair in the corner. “Would you like me to drive you home?”

“If you’re busy I can walk.”

“Don’t be silly.” Betsy stands slowly and heads over to the coat closet to put on her jacket. “Emma could sleep through a bomb going off; you certainly can’t wait for her to drive you.”

Alyssa picks up her bag and laughs. “You make an excellent point.”

* * *

She’s quiet in the passenger seat of Betsy’s old sedan, staring out the window and letting her mind wander.

“Thank you for coming over today,” Betsy says, her voice low. “She was pretty grumpy when she got home, but she lightened up as soon as she saw you walking up the driveway.”

“I was worried about her.” Alyssa sighs. “I wish I could stop it. The way people treat her at school, I… I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh, honey. That’s not your job. It’s not your fault how people behave.”

“Doesn’t make it easier.”

Betsy pauses. “No, I would imagine it doesn’t.” She’s quiet for a long moment, until she takes in a deep breath, steeling herself. “Alyssa. I’d like to ask you something, and I want you to know that you don’t need to answer if you don’t want to. But if you do, it won’t change how I speak to you, and it won’t leave this car. Okay?”

Alyssa audibly swallows. “Okay.”

“Are you and Emma dating?”

There’s silence, so long that Betsy starts to say something else before Alyssa interrupts her.

“We’re not,” Alyssa murmurs. “We’re just… I-I don’t… I don’t know how to explain it. What’s it called when you’re not dating but you’re… pre… dating…? Sort of?”

Betsy gives a soft laugh. “In my day it was courting.”

Alyssa blushes. “Isn’t that when one person is reaching out to the other?”

“Maybe. Two-way courting, then.”

“Oh, God.” Alyssa covers her face with her hands. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. Emma will die.”

“I said it wouldn’t leave the car, and it won’t.” Betsy pats Alyssa’s knee. “Could I ask… What is it that you’re waiting for?”

“I…” Alyssa stares out the window again. “I can’t do that to her.”

Betsy frowns. “What do you mean, honey?”

“I can’t…” Alyssa’s voice cracks. “I can’t come out, Mrs. Nolan. At least not yet. What would I be asking Emma to do? Continue to take all the shit my own friends give her over a sexuality I’m too much of a coward to admit to, while at the same time asking her to secretly date me?”

“You’re not a coward, Alyssa Greene,” Betsy says gently. “It’s not cowardice to want to avoid the kind of pain you’ve watched Emma go through, and it’s not cowardice to not be comfortable letting that part of yourself be known to the public yet. And I don’t think Emma would have a problem with any of that. I’ve seen how she looks at you.”

“So to be clear, you _want_ us to date?” Alyssa jokes weakly.

“I want you both to be happy.” Betsy glances at her. “I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure I can tell what would make you both happy.”

“Can I tell you something?” Alyssa whispers.

“Of course.”

“I’m scared of how much I like her.”

Betsy laughs and pats her leg again. “Honey. Believe me. That’s how you know it’s real.”

“I don’t know if that actually makes me feel better,” Alyssa says nervously.

The car stops in front of the Greene house, and Betsy leans over, kissing Alyssa on the side of the head. “There’s not really anything I can say that _will_ make you feel better, sweetheart.”

Alyssa sighs. “Yeah, I had a feeling.”

* * *

Emma leans on one of the support beams under the bleachers after school, waiting for Alyssa to finish cheer practice.

“Hey.”

She looks up, confused by the anxious expression on Alyssa's face as she stands, wringing her hands, a few feet away. “Hi. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. No. I don’t know.”

Emma takes a step closer and frowns. “Alyssa? What’s going on?”

“I can’t do this anymore,” Alyssa whispers, her voice cracking.

“Can’t do _what?_ I… You’re scaring me, Lys, what the hell is-”

Alyssa closes the space between them, grabs Emma’s face, and kisses her.

She starts to pull away almost immediately, but Emma sets a hand on her waist and turns her, backing her up against the beam and lightly holding her against it to kiss her more firmly.

When Emma pulls back, she rests her forehead against Alyssa’s. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she murmurs.

“Tell you what? That I’m too afraid to come out? That the dance we’ve been doing terrifies me because of how badly I wanted to end it? That we haven’t been on a single date and I think I’m already in love with you?” Alyssa’s hand comes up, slapping over her mouth as her eyes widen in horror.

Emma gently pulls it away and presses a soft kiss to her lips. “Lys. You don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”

“Yeah, right,” Alyssa mutters, flushing pink. “You’re just saying that to be nice.”

“I’m not. I’ve pretty much been in love with you from the day I met you.”

“That was first grade, Emma.”

“So?”

Alyssa rests her hand on the back of Emma’s neck. “Please,” she whispers, unable to stop the desperation from creeping into her voice. “Please. I know I don’t have much of anything to offer you. I can barely even work up the courage to look at you when we’re in school. I’m not worth you, and I know that, but please. I want you. Can we date? Like for real date, not this messy tension we’ve been doing?”

“Alyssa Greene, in no way are you not _worth_ me. You’re worth _everything.”_ Emma hugs her tightly, closing her eyes when she feels Alyssa bury her face against her neck. “I don’t care if we need to hide it. I don’t care if you can’t come out yet. Of _course_ I want to date you.”

“What happens now?” Alyssa whimpers, her grip on Emma tightening.

Emma skims her hand up and down Alyssa’s back. “Well. Kissing was nice.”

Alyssa grumpily slaps at her shoulder. “You’re such an idiot.”

“Hey! Am I _wrong?”_

“…No.”

Emma tips Alyssa’s chin back and looks down at her, an action that puts them nose to nose and makes Alyssa gasp softly. “I say we get in my truck. We drive somewhere nobody really knows us. We make out. And then I buy you the dinner I’ve been wanting to buy you for a very long time.”

Alyssa’s breath is shallow as she watches the eager mischief in Emma’s eyes. “We would have to be back before ten.”

“Why, Ms. Greene, what exactly are you implying about me? It’s only a first date.”

Alyssa rolls her eyes and tugs her forward, kissing her, hard and quick. When she stops, leaving Emma a little bit dazed, she turns Emma’s head and whispers in her ear, “Maybe I was implying something about _me,_ Ms. Nolan. You just don’t know, now do you?”

She pats Emma on the cheek and starts to walk away, laughing when she turns around and sees Emma still standing there, frozen, a glazed look in her eyes.

“Emma?”

Emma turns her head towards her, the motion a bit slow and bewildered. “Hm?”

“Are you c- Should we go now?”

After a moment, Emma blinks and snaps out of it, nodding and clearing her throat. “Mhm. Yeah. Yep.” She walks over to Alyssa, who stops her briefly.

“You’re sure?”

“About you? How could I not be?”

Alyssa shrugs and looks away.

Emma cups her face in her hands. “Lys. I’m _absolutely sure._ Are… Are you sure about _me?_ Of all people?”

Alyssa reaches her hands up and mirrors Emma’s touch. “I couldn’t be more sure.”

“Good,” Emma says, a little hoarse. She kisses Alyssa on the cheek as she lowers her hands and steps back. “I’ll meet you at the truck?”

“You had better.” Alyssa leans up and kisses Emma on the lips. “You promised me a date, Nolan.”

“A date,” Emma echoes, like she can’t believe it.

“A date,” Alyssa repeats in a whisper, hope and relief in her eyes. She strokes her thumb against Emma’s cheek, desperate for more contact despite knowing they’ll be together again in only a few minutes, and then turns and heads for the parking lot.

Emma watches her go, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. “Date,” she murmurs again. She grins, a little loopy, and follows after Alyssa.


End file.
